Every baby is different. Heck, my baby is different on a daily basis. We do have some favorite items--some "must-haves," if you will--that helped us get through these first two months. Some of these we were lucky enough to have gotten right the first time. Others we discovered through trial and error. Also important to note is that just because your baby might seem to dislike something the first or second time doesn't mean he/she won't like it later! Owen seemed to hate his swing up until this last week! :-) Here are the things that I can't imagine doing without:
1. Sound Machine
We use this HoMedics Sound Spa Portable Sound Machine ($20 at Wal Mart; $35 at Target for the exact same thing). I love the "white noise" sound, turned up all the way, without the timer. I turn this on at the beginning of our bedtime routine and I do not turn it off until it's time for his morning feed. If Owen is upset during a diaper change, I'll turn it on for that and it usually calms him right down! He loves it. I also turn it on when he naps in his crib. Not only does this sound machine help create a great sleeping environment, but it also helps drown out any noises coming from the kitchen, which is right outside of his room.
2. Miracle Blanket
We have every type of swaddle and swaddle blanket on the market, I swear. They are all great, except Owen is a houdini baby who
always managed to escape every single type of swaddle we would try. Those little hands would somehow always end up right up against his face. It was cute, but not helpful. This Miracle Blanket is the only swaddle that keeps his arms where they need to be for a proper swaddle. It's a little tricky to master, but worth it. He somehow manages to get his legs out, so...
3. Summer Infant SwaddleMe
We actually have to put this on top of the Miracle Blanket or else he will keep himself awake by kicking constantly. Between these two swaddles, we have his arms and legs covered. :)
4. Wubbanub
We also own every type of pacifier on the market. Truly. Owen needs his pacifier to relax throughout the day, but he doesn't (or didn't) know how to keep it in very well. Ryan and I grew to loathe the pacifier because we were having to put it back in his mouth every few seconds. It was terrible. This is a Soothie pacifier. That type of pacifier actually did cause us some problems with breastfeeding both times I let him have that kind. We gave him a different kind of paci (Gumdrop) for the first few weeks, then I switched him to this. He loves it, and it stays in so much better. He has recently started holding the puppy with his hands, and it's really sweet to see. I sometimes give him a regular Soothie pacifier without the animal attached, and they fall right out of his mouth. Another win for the wubbanub is that when I'm driving, I'm able to reach back and find it easily so I can pop it right back into his mouth.
5. Rock n Play
We borrowed this Rock n Play from a friend, and it has been
wonderful! Owen slept in it when he was in our room the first four weeks, and we took it with us when we had to stay in a hotel one night a couple of weeks ago. He sleeps really well in it! It's really cozy, and it's inclined. If he desperately needs a nap and refuses to settle down in his crib, I will sometimes put him in this.
6. Boppy
I breastfed Owen without the Boppy for the first two weeks of his life because I'm an idiot. Sometimes I use this and sometimes I use a regular pillow, but I do highly recommend using
something! This pillow allows me to have a hand (and sometimes even two!) free during those nursing sessions, which helps the time go by much faster (
hello, Facebook)!
7. Blooming Bath
We didn't use this until Owen was a month old because our doctor advised us not to really bathe him until then. It works well for us, and Owen seems to like it just fine! It's easy to use and provides a soft surface for him to bathe on. I love that we can just throw it in the washer when it needs cleaned rather than having to clean a baby tub.
8. Travel System
We have the Britax B-Safe and B-Agile system, and we l-o-v-e it. The carseat just snaps into the stroller and we're ready to go! Owen often falls asleep in his carseat, and I absolutely loathe waking him up for any reason other than to eat. With this, I'm able to leave him in his carseat without bothering him at all. The stroller is great and easy to use, collapse, and open. It can be used without the carseat for a child who weighs less than fifty pounds, I believe. Another reason to have a stroller that works with your carseat is that with the weight of the carrier and my eight week old baby, I'd be lugging around 33 pounds in one hand. It's so nice to be able to just push him instead of carry him with that added weight.
9. Pampers Swaddlers
We have only used these diapers and Huggies Snugglers. I'm not sure if there is a huge difference. Our hospital put him in Huggies and sent them home with us, but all of our other diapers are Pampers Swaddlers. They work well for us! You know all those blogs and people who tell you that buying newborn diapers is a waste of money because size 1s will work just fine? That the hospital will put your baby in size 1s anyway? That's a bunch of bull. We didn't have any newborn diapers because I listened to that advice, and we had to go buy some once we ran out of the newborn diapers we brought home from the hospital. Owen's hips and legs were so skinny that size 1 diapers fit him loose like a pair of shorts around his legs. I don't know about you, but I didn't want to deal with poop and pee coming out of his diaper every single time he went. We had our fair share of accidents anyway, but a properly fitting diaper is important. :-) He wore newborns until he was about a month old.
10. Pampers Sensitive Wipes
I've tried out a lot of wipes, but these are by far my favorite because they seem to be so much thicker than all the others. Highly recommend!
11. Mirror
Owen and I go out and about, just the two of us, quite a bit. I love being able to glance into my rear view mirror and see if he is awake or asleep, or why he might be crying. It's my favorite thing to look up and see that he's sitting there content, looking around. It's so adorable! I really do believe this is a
must if you will be driving your baby around without someone else.
12. Video Baby Monitor
We chose this Motorola one because it was about half off on Black Friday. I absolutely love being able to check on him without having to go into his room. If he starts fussing in the middle of the night, I can watch him on the monitor for a few minutes to see if he will settle himself before I barge in there and intervene. I believe it has prevented me from intervening too early many, many times! The first night he slept in his crib, I watched the monitor to see his chest moving since he was no longer next to my bed for me to physically check his breathing.
13. Moby Wrap
I have an Ergo carrier and an infant insert, but I quickly realized it wasn't actually very infant-friendly. Owen needed to be held and carried for a large portion of his first month of life, and although there is nothing more precious than baby snuggles, it just wasn't realistic or ideal for me. I decided to try to the Moby wrap, and we both really like it! It's a little tricky at first, and I'm looking forward to him getting big enough to safely use the Ergo, but the Moby has been a life-saver on many occasions.
14. Eyefi Memory Card
A good camera is a must, but I'm
not going to tell you what to get. I will tell you to get this memory
card, though! I'm able to take good pictures with my camera and send
them to my wireless devices through this memory card's built-in wifi.
It's pretty awesome, and I love being able to share photos soon after I
take them instead of weeks later when I decide to pop my memory card
into my computer.
And there you have it! There are many other things we use, of course, but I'd say there isn't really much else we've needed during these first two months! Gas drops, gripe water, swing, playmat, nosefrieda, etc. are all fantastic, but they'll play a bigger role later, I'm sure!
